McDonald's China reportedly decided to change its Chinese company name from the popular "Maidanglao" to "Jingongmen," which translates to English as "Golden Arches."
News of the name change of the famous food chain in China went viral on Chinese social media yesterday, October 25 with netizens ridiculing "Golden Arches."
On Weibo, some netizens argued that the name sounded like it belonged to a rustic countryside village or a traditional Chinese medicinal shop. Some also mocked the new name and tagged it as an unpleasant combination of "earthy" and "awkward."
Others also warned the company that if they will not change the name, they will lose the Chinese market.
With this, McDonald's was forced to release an official statement on Weibo assuring the customers of the restaurants in China that it would continue to go by the well-recognized "Maidanglao" label, which is the rough Chinese translations of the company's English name.
The said name change came after the American fast food giant entered into a deal with China's CITIC Ltd. and Carlyle Group. The fast food giant sold most of its China and Hong Kong stores to the said conglomerates.
Meanwhile, McDonald's has reportedly big plans in China. The restaurant is planning to open up 2,000 more locations in the country by 2022. McDonald's is also targeting double-digit sales growth figures in Chinese mainland each year.
